Menya Saru no suke 麺屋 猿のすけ (Osaka, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

Finally, we are down to our last few hours in Osaka. While some of us decided to go for a bit of last-minute shopping, mom and I decided to just walk around Shinsaibashi to kill the remaining hours.

We did forget to buy ourselves some bread for breakfast this morning so perhaps a breakfast ramen? 😜 If you're searching for a ramen shop open during breakfast hours, Shinsaibashi is the perfect destination. 

Menya Saru no suke (麺屋 猿のすけ) is one of those night owl ramen shops that opens from 10am till late, I mean really really late (3am the next morning). Their signature dish is a unique tori-paitan ramen infused with miso, offering a rich and flavorful experience. Let's see if it's as good as advertised.

Like in most ramen shops in Japan, we placed our order using a vending machine. However, we ran into a small hiccup – the machine didn’t accept the new 1,000 yen bills! In the end, we had to exchange them for the older bills with the chef.

Mom and I decided to set ourselves up at the counter table when the chef got things rolling in the open kitchen.

Tori paitan miso ramen (1,000 yen) – My nose was telling me that the miso flavors were pretty strong and as it turned out, it was. In fact, I thought it was overshadowing the creamy chicken broth a little too much.

Not surprisingly, the medium-thick noodles worked well with the flavorful broth that came with some extra smokiness.

The bamboo shoots were nice.

The charcoal grilled pork belly was a bit dry and rough. That was a real downer.

I can name at least half a dozen ramen shops open at 10am around Shinsaibashi. Here's another one.

By the name we finished up slurping our ramen, it was time to get back to our hotel and wait for our ride. Honestly, I am starting to fall in love with Osaka. The city is the perfect size for tourists to explore comfortably within a week, offering a rich blend of vibrant streets, delicious food and cultural landmarks. What makes it even more special is its proximity to Kyoto and Nara—both just a little under an hour away—allowing for easy day trips to experience even more of Japan’s rich history and heritage.

I hate to admit it, but compared to Osaka, Tokyo feels overwhelming at times. While Tokyo's allure as a mega city is undeniable, its sheer size and fast-paced nature can make it daunting to explore in a short period of time.

Food Rating: 6.2/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 2-6-10 Higashishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-0083 Japan

Closest Metro Station: Shinsaibashi 

Tel: +81 (0)6 6245-0883

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 3:00am (Sun - Fri), 10:00am - 5:00am (Sat)